Morsi Chanting 'Amen' to Destruction of Jews is 'Slap in Face'

Wiesenthal Center urges Obama to publicly condemn Egypt's President Morsi, after he chanted "Amen" to call for destruction of Jews.

By Rachel Hirshfeld

First Publish: 10/23/2012, 4:19 PM

Mohamed Morsi

Israel news photo: Flash 90

The Simon Wiesenthal Center reiterated its call to President Obama to publicly condemn Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, after he attended a sermon where the preacher called for the "destruction and dispersal of the Jews."

A video emailed by the center showed Morsi at a mosque in the Mediterranean town of Marsa Matruh, where the congregation answers "Amen" to a cleric who recites a list of prayers in a traditional ritual.

In one of the prayers, the cleric asked G-d to "destroy the Jews and their supporters and disperse them, rend them asunder." Morsi is then seen continuing to say Amen. The prayers were aired on state TV and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

In a statement, the Wiesenthal Center strongly condemned the video, saying it is a sign of growing anti-Semitism in Egypt.

"This is a slap in the face to America as Egypt's President Morsi pockets billions in U.S. aid and says Amen to principles that are repugnant to all Americans," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Wiesenthal Center, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, the Center's associate dean.

"Morsi, the leader who just lectured the world from the UN podium about the need to safeguard religions from desecration, apparently doesn’t extend it to the Jewish people and its faith,” the rabbis continued. “He and his government need to hear an unequivocal warning from the US that it won't be business as usual as long as the public espousal of genocidal hate against Jews continues," they concluded.

Since taking office, Morsi has refused to meet with Israeli officials, or even use the word Israel in public statements. However, his government has continued security cooperation with the Israel and says Egypt will continue to abide by the peace treaty signed between the two countries in 1979.

Last week, however, Morsi faced harsh criticism when the new Egyptian ambassador to Israel presented a letter to Israeli President Shimon Peres, signed in Morsi's name, calling the Israeli leader "great friend."